Fading Darkness
by Hellsingchick
Summary: Mal is evil. He has accepted this. He holds nothing but hatred for everyone, at least until he meets Alex, an eccentric girl who is the first to give him a chance when he saves her life. As the darkness in him begins to fade, a friendship develops...and maybe something more. (rated M just in case MalxOC. Gonna redo chapter 7 cause I didn't really like it)
1. Chapter 1

Fading Darkness

The middle aged man cursed and tried to shield his eyes from the blinding light that assaulted them. His expensive red Mercedes swerved first to the left, then to the right before he lost control and spun off the road. The car crashed front first into a ditch. A few people screamed and someone yelled for an ambulance to be called.

Mal chuckled darkly as he slid the mirror back into the pocket of his torn blue jeans. He strolled down the sidewalk, loving the sounds of panic behind him. The hood of his black jacket was up. His dark brown bangs hid the left side of his face, which was a light shade of brown. The black circles around his eyes only made him more menacing to look at. A little girl and her mother were walking down the same sidewalk towards him. He growled at the child as they passed, making her cling to her mother and tremble in fear. He grinned, showing the gap in between his front teeth.

The sun was too hot and bright that day, so he turned down a dark alley. It was filthy and dark. His footsteps were his only company, which is how he liked it. Mal was a loner by choice. He hated everyone and never missed a chance to cause a little chaos.

Suddenly he stopped and listened. He could hear another set of footsteps running up ahead. Sure enough, a girl who looked to be about 17 with bright green eyes filled with tears and short black hair turned down the alley ahead and sprinted towards him. Her pale face had splotches of red on it from crying.

Mal lifted an eyebrow curiously. He watched as a tall man with a bald head turned down the alley behind her, furious. The girls eyes filled with relief when she saw Mal despite his evil appearance. She quickly wrapped her arms and around him and cried out hysterically.

"Please! *gasp* H-help me!" He immediately shoved her away with a glare.

"Get off." He growled. The man slowed to a stop in front of them. The frightened girl his behind Mal and trembled. He was about to step out of the way and continue walking, but the man made an enormous mistake. He grabbed Mal up by the front of his jacket and lifted him up.

"You didn't see shit? Got that?" He barked. His breath and odor were nothing short of foul. Mal immediately headbutted the idiot in the face. The man dropped him and clutched his nose, which was gushing blood. He tried to wipe it away but only smeared it.

"Fuck!" He yelled in pain.

"You're dead, kid!" He yelled at Mal. A grin spread across the watchedace.

"Time to have a little fun." His dark voice croaked. The man let out a shout as he charged him. Mal easily dodged. This guy was so pathetic. The girl moved to the side and watched, her eyes wide.

The moron yelled in frustration and cocked his right fist back to punch him. Mal caught it and clicked his tounge as he waved his finger back and forth. The man realized how bad he had messed up and fear shone in his empty blue eyes. Before he could react, Mals fist collided with his face and knocked him back against the wall, unconscious.

Mal frowned.

"That ended way too fast. I didn't even get to enjoy it." he muttered in annoyance.

"Thank you." Shit. He had forgotten about the girl. He gave her the most menacing glare he could.

"Whatever." He snapped before continuing his walk. He clenched his fists tight when he heard her following him. He abruptly stopped and she slammed into him before falling to the ground. He turned to her and gave her his meanest look.

She picked herself up and crossed her arms. Mal sighed in frustration. He honestly didn't feel like doing this shit. He just wanted to go home.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?!" He snapped at her. The girl didn't flinch. She didn't show any fear whatsoever.

When she spoke, she had a sweet voice and she said things in a 'matter of fact' kind of way.

"You saved my life and I'll be damned if I'm just gonna let you walk away without even tellin' me your name." He could hear a slight accent that made him think she was from the U.S., maybe Texas. The fire in his eyes didn't die and his voice wasn't any less harsh.

"It's Mal. Now piss off." He growled. She narrowed her eyes slightly and he thought she was finally going to leave.

"Now I know you ain't expectin' me to walk home alone." A smirk appeared on her face as she walked passed him.

"Come on, honey. I don't got all day." She called to him. Mal stared at her as she walked. A black Korn T-shirt and black jeans hugged her curves. Her black combat boots completed the look. She was definitely different from the rest of the filth in this town. She paused and her striking green eyes flashed back at him.

"My names Alex by the way. And whether you like it or not," she smiled warmly at him

"You just made yourself a friend." Mals eyes softened only for a moment before he followed her, wearing the meanest look he could muster. He forced himself to have nothing but hatred for this girl. Hope was not an option. He would wake her home, leave, and forget all about it.

When she looked back and saw him slowly following her, his eyes not leaving the ground, an enormous smile claimed her face and relief filled her emerald eyes. Usually her attitude scared people off. She was glad that wasn't the case this time. She waited for him to catch up and walked beside him. She decided that although he hated her, she liked Mal and wanted to be his friend. Especially since he saved her life (even if he only did it because the jerk touched him). If it wasn't for this malicious dark skinned boy, she would've been violated and killed by that freak.

"My house ain't too far from here. We should be there in about 10 minutes." She beamed at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Good. What were you doing with that waste of space anyways?" He asked. She liked his dark, disturbing voice and was glad he was talking to her.

"I was just takin' a walk and he attacked me. He choked me a little but the worst part was looking into his eyes. They looked so empty, like he didn't even have a soul." The confidence in her voice disappeared along with any emotion. Mal glanced at her neck and saw that it was slightly bruised. He considered her words.

"I don't understand why you're trusting me then, as if I have a soul." He muttered. She didn't look at him as she spoke softly.

"You do. You might be different from everyone else, but you have a soul. You have emotion. You're as human as the rest of us. Don't you let anyone tell you different." Mal thought about this for a moment. She looked at him for a moment and saw a small smile cross his face before the scowl returned.


	2. Chapter 2

When they reached her house, Mal realized he didn't want to leave. He was disgusted with himself for feeling that way, but he did. Alex looked from her small white house back to her savior. The fire in his eyes was gone but he looked lost and even a little sad.

"Ya know what? My momma sure would love to meet you. And it's gettin' late out. She'll drive you home. Come on, now. I don't got all night." She said with a smile. Mal nearly returned it but stopped himself. He nodded once before walking up the porch steps and into her home.

"Alexandria! Oh, honey I'm so glad you're back! Where in the hell have you been?" Her mother pounced on her the moment she came in. Her voice held both concern and relief. She hugged Alex tight, not letting her get a word in.

"Momma-Mom-Mom!" Her mother couldn't hear her. She was too busy smothering her. Mal couldn't help but smile.

They looked a lot alike. Both had straight black hair (although her mothers reached her back instead of just at her ears like Alex's), both had striking green eyes (although there were a few lines around her mother's), and both were extremely gorgeous (although Mal would never admit it). Her mother was wearing a long tight dress the color of her eyes. She was very thin, not curvy like her daughter. It took Alex a moment to calm her down.

"Momma, this is Mal. A man attacked me tonight and Mal stopped him." She smiled at him. He knew her mother would hate him regardless of what he had done. Hell, just Alex not hating him was strange enough. Her mother would despise him. He expected disgust and harsh words. Instead, he got a loving smile and a warm hug. He froze, not used to being touched.

"Thank you, honey. I don't know what I'd do without my baby girl." She whispered. When she finally pulled away, he hasn't hugged her back but he had a small smile on his face.

"Can we watch a movie?" Alex asked.

"Of course, baby. Is your momma alright with that?" Mal remained silent. He knew his voice was strange and he didn't want this to be ruined.

"Come on, sweetheart. I don't bite." Her smile grew.

"She won't mind." He said quietly, still too shocked to remember that this wasn't right. He didn't have friends. He didn't show kindness. His only purpose was to hurt other. He was supposed to hate Alex not hang out with her. He was about to speak up and say he had other plans (a total lie), but Alex didn't give him a chance to.

"Cool! Come on. I know the perfect movie!" She said gleefully before grabbing his hand and pulling him down the hall to her room.

He looked around with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. She noticed the gap in between his front teeth. Unlike the rest of the house, the walls in her room were a soft lavender color instead of a light green. And the books. They were stacked everywhere. On the floor, on her bed, on the TV, on her white dresser, and on the violet shelf above her enormous bed. They were in enormous stacks all over the place and he could see bookmarks sticking out of many of them. Alex closed the door behind them.

"I'll get the movie. Go on ahead and have a seat. Feel free to move the books. Sorry for the mess." As she looked through the glass case filled with movies that the TV sat on, he carefully lifted a stack of about 6 novels off her bed and placed them gently on the floor before sitting awkwardly on the edge of the bed. This was all so strange. He sighed in frustration. This was all so wonderful, too. No one had ever been this nice to him. Ever. Some people had taken an interest in him but they quickly lost it when they saw how mean he was. He had been extremely rude to Alex, and yet she was still nice to him. It didn't make sense. Yeah he had technically helped her, but he didn't mean to. Mal only kicked that guys ass because he had started shit. He hasn't cared about Alex. He looked around at all of the books in her room. He wasn't much of a reader, but for some reason he was glad she was. He decided that while he didn't like Alex, he definitely hated her less than other people.

"Aha! Perfect!" Her outburst startled him. He looked to see her pull out a movie called 'The Conjuring' out of the glass case and putting it in the DVD player. She pushed play and made a spot for herself beside Mal, careful not to get too close.

"I ain't seen it yet. Momma bought it just yesterday." She chirped excitedly. Mal grunted and laid on the bed a few inches away from her.

Throughout the movie, Mal tried to keep his angry scowl but Alex's comments kept making him smile. He finally cracked halfway through the movie.

"Well maybe if you weren't always on ya husband's dick making all these kids, you'd have less to worry about." She muttered quietly. Mal couldn't help it. Laughter exploded from him.

"What? Don't act like it ain't true!" She exclaimed with a grin. He abruptly stopped when he realized what he was doing.

"What's wrong?" Her smile faded.

"Nothing." He snapped at her, turning back to the movie. She decided not to push him and did the same.

After a few minutes if thinking, Mal spoke up again. He knew he had to get the truth out. If she hated him for it, oh well. She had every right to.

"I was going to move." He muttered.

"Huh?" She gave him a look of confusion. He sighed heavily in frustration.

"In the alley! You hid behind me and I was going to move out of his way. I would've just continued walking. The only reason I beat him up is because he put his disgusting hands on me. I was gonna-I almost let him-" he looked away in shame. He had never felt bad about hurting people. Bringing others pain was one of the few joys of his miserable existence. But there was something different about Alex. Something that filled him with the foreign feeling of regret.

"I know." She said quietly. He looked at her.

"I'm not an idiot, hun. I saw the way you looked at me. Like I was the most disgusting thing you'd ever seen. I saw that you was about to move." It was his turn to be confused.

"Why are you being all nice and shit then?" He asked rudely. She smiled sadly.

"You ain't like anyone else. You're violent and scary and mean." His eyes hardened.

"I like it." She said simply before turning back to the movie. He grunted in acceptance.

"I know y'all ain't that dumb! Just shoot the bitch!" Mals lips tilted up slightly.

When the movie ended, Mal popped his neck and stretched his limbs.

"I guess I'm gonna-" he stopped when he looked at her. She had fallen asleep. He smiled softly. She looked so peaceful and happy. Careful not to wake her, he climbed out of bed, unfolded the fluffy black blanket from the edge of the bed, and gently laid it on her.


	3. Chapter 3

He found her mother curled up on the living room sofa with a book and glass of tea. He cleared his throat to get her attention and she looked up, giving him a warm smile.

"Hi, honey. You need a ride home?" He nodded with a slight smile. It found it hard to be mean to Alex's mom. She was just too nice to him.

"You know, you're the first person she's ever brought home. I don't think she really likes people." Her smile faded as she spoke.

"Not sure what she sees in me then. I'm not exactly friend material. I'm more likely to punch someone than I am to be nice to them." He told her truthfully. Her bright smile returned.

"Oh honey I couldn't tell you. I'm not sure myself. But there's something about you she just likes I guess. She's a nice girl, but she'd much rather read than make friends. She does have a little attitude on her though don't she?"

"Oh yeah. Her accent really comes out when she's barking orders." He said with a grin. Her mother laughed.

"She's a Kentucky girl just like her momma. My name's Sarah by the way. Sarah Baller. Thanks again for helpin' my little Alex. You won't have to very often though. If someone treats my baby girl wrong, well," her green eyes flashed with mischief,

"9 times out of 10 she'll make sure they know who not to mess with. She's a sweetheart most of the time, but when someone's dumb enough to hurt her, she'll return the pain two-fold before they even know what hit 'em. Word of advice, don't ever make that mistake."

Mal raised an eyebrow.

"She doesn't seem like a violent person to me."

"Oh honey, her words alone are sharp enough to cut someone in half but when she's upset, she'll put whoever made her that way in the hospital." Mal considered her words. It didn't make sense. He had been really mean to Alex and she hadn't even seemed to notice. If she was so tough, why not retaliate? Especially if she knew he was going to leave her with that monster?

"What sets her off?" He asked. Maybe he just hadn't been mean enough to upset her. Sarah shrugged.

"Not much. She don't tolerate no disrespect. Oh, I nearly forgot! I gotta drive you home. C'mon honey. Let's go."

When Alex woke up the next morning, she found a small scrap of paper with a phone number sloppily scribbled on it laying on her dresser. She smiled and after getting dressed, shoved it into the pocket of her blue jeans. Although she knew he didn't like her, she was glad Mal wanted her to call him. It was obvious he hadn't left it to he polite. His rude words filled her thoughts. She knew he was rude to everyone and that she shouldn't take it personally, but the words still stung quite a lot. Her emerald eyes darted to the large mirror above her dresser. Along with her jeans, she was wearing a gray long sleeved shirt with the word "HOPE" in black across her chest and combat boots as black as her short hair, not that the mirror was low enough to show them. She sighed quietly.

"He must think I'm so pathetic."

"You're so pathetic." Mal muttered, kicking the empty whiskey bottle away from his mother's hand. She had passed out again last night on the couch and was snoring loudly. Just like he had predicted, she hadn't even noticed he was gone.

"Mike! No...no..." She yelled suddenly and sat up. Mal took a step back as she vomited all over the floor. No, this wasn't his mother. It was Mike's. This was just the drunk bitch he was stuck with until he turned 18. She hadn't always been a drinker. It had started about a year ago when her son Mikes darkest personality, Mal, had finally taken full control. She knew her son wouldn't come back this time. He was dead, along with all of his other personalities, which she had actually grown to love. So she drowned her sorrows in cheap whiskey.

She didn't cry anymore.

She glared at the malevolent one in complete hatred. He looked so much like her Mike. The only differences in their appearances were that instead of sticking up adorably like her sons bangs did, Mals swept over his left eye and he had dark circles under both of his eyes, as if he never got enough sleep.

"What do you want?" She snapped at him. He stared at her with a blank expression. She was so pathetic he couldn't even get mad at her. It was pointless.

"Just go to bed, Grace. You look like death for fucks sake." He growled before stomping out the door, not hearing her mutter to herself

"You're one to talk."

He lived just down the street from his high school so the walk was fairly short. He was wearing the same clothes as yesterday despite ripped jeans being again dress code. Not that any of his teachers had the nerve to say anything about it. When he arrived, he thought of Alex, secretly wishing she went to the same school as him. He was completely unaware that her bus had just pulled up on the opposite side of the school and that she was thinking the same thing.

His classes flew by quickly. How could they not with him sleeping though them? He considered skipping lunch but decided against it. He had nothing to do and he loved watching the hope in Mike's friend's eyes die. That kiss-ass redhead Zoey and the nerd still had faith that the twerp would return. They were sorely mistaken. He walked into the cafeteria with a cocky grin and a wicked glare. But when he saw a certain outcast reading alone in the corner, both disappeared. He walked quickly to her table, not even glancing at Zoey and Cameron, who watched in confusion as he sat by her. Her eyes lit up and she gave him a warm smile.

"What's with Mal?" Zoey whispered in shock.

"I know! Since when does he sit with anyone? And not even sending us a single dirty look? Highly illogical..." Cam whispered back, adjusting his glasses.

"He's up to something. I just know it!"


	4. Chapter 4

Alex couldn't keep the bright smile off of her face. 3 years in this stupid school and she hadn't seen him once. But then again, she always had her nose in a book so that wasn't very surprising. She hadn't seen him approach her empty table.

"Hey." His dark voice had murmured behind her. He knew those pathetic morons attached to little Mikey were going crazy trying to figure him out and he loved it. He still hated Alex of course (or at least that's what he told himself) but it was nice to have someone who didn't shrink away at the sight of him.

"Sorry I fell asleep last night. Did momma drive you home?" She bubbled with excitement. Mal could tell she was really happy to see him. Seeing her was a pleasant surprise as well. Still, he kept his normal frown.

"Yes. She-" he was cut off by the sound of someone yelling as they slipped and hit the lunchroom floor and everyone giggling.

They looked to see Zoey helping an embarrassed Beth to her feet. Her dorky glasses were shattered on the floor. Mal erupted with laughter. Zoey quickly shot him a glare as tears streamed down Beth's face.

He was so busy laughing at Beth's misery, he didn't notice that Alex wasn't next to him anymore. His laughter immediately ceased as he saw Alex run to Beth and Zoey. She hugged Beth tight and spoke softly.

"Its alright, honey. I've taken a few nasty spills myself. Everyone does. Now dry them tears. Here." She handed Beth the pair of glasses she always kept in her backpack in case she lost her contacts. Beth slipped them on and smiled. People were never this nice to her. Zoey watched with caution in her brown eyes. This was the girl Mal had chosen to sit with? It just didn't make sense.

"There. See? Pretty as ever." She turned to Zoey.

"If a single person even just looks at her wrong, you send em to me alright?" Her eyes flashed with fury for the potential bullies. Zoey nodded to Alex and led Beth to her table.

Alex turned to walk back to her friend, but there was a pretty girl with long black hair wearing a crop top in her way. Heather crossed her arms angrily. She reminded Alex of a child who pouted and whined when they didn't get their way. She didn't know it, but Heather had been the one to trip poor Beth.

"You better watch yourself, freak." She snapped in her usual bitchy tone. Unlike everyone else, Alex didn't back down.

"No. You better watch _your_self rich girl. Or I'll knock your crooked teeth down your pathetic little throat. That," she got in Heather's face,

"Is a fucking promise." Then she smiled as if everything were fine and Heather didn't have fear in her eyes.

"Nice nose job by the way." She said with a wink and walked around the terrified teen.

Mal hadn't heard what Alex had said to Heather but he saw and heard everything she said to Beth. It disgusted him. His eyes widened as everything began to make sense.

"I get it now." He muttered. She looked up from her book with a raised eyebrow.

"You get what?" She had absolutely no clue what he was talking about.

"Why you're being so nice to me. If you're nice to trash like her, you're nice to everyone. That's why. I knew no one in their right mind would like me." There was a bit of smugness to his tone. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she slammed her book shut.

"You are an idiot!" She yelled at him, grabbing everyone's attention. He immediately got pissed.

"Why am I an idiot? Because its the truth?!" He barked back furiously.

"No! You're an idiot cause that ain't the damn truth! I ain't nice to everyone. Hell, I ain't usually nice to anyone! I was nice to you cause I really liked you!" She snapped angrily.

Mals angry glare faded.

"I was nice you cause you were different, and I respected that. Or at least I though you were. But I guess I was wrong cause just like everyone else, you seem to think you know me. Well, you don't." He could see tears in her eyes. The hurt on her face was completely genuine. She grabbed her book, stood up, and began to walk away.

Mal realized how bad he had just messed up. He tried to go after her.

"Alex, wait! I-" He was cut off by her turning around and punching him hard in the face. His bottom lip split open slightly and a small amount of blood gushed from it. He touched it gently and looked at the drops of blood on his finger. He gaped at her in shock. The fire in her eyes didn't die out as she bent down, picked up her book (it had been dropped when she hit him), and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. All eyes were on Mal as the cafeteria door slammed shut behind her.

"Fuck..." He growled. He wasn't sure if he was really mad at her or not. He deserved that punch for being such an ass. He hated the foreign copper taste of blood in his mouth. He hated the eyes staring at him. He hated the excited whispers everywhere around him. His anger and frustration built up inside.

"SHUT UP!" He screamed and clenched his fists, silencing everyone. He wanted to hurt someone, to take out his fury on something, anything. But that wouldn't fix this. Nothing would. His eyes were squeezed shut tight. Why was this affecting him like it was? He didn't care about her. He didn't care about anyone.

Fuck.

His eyes snapped open and he bolted after Alex. A determination he had never felt before took over him. He didn't know how, but he was going to fix this. He wasn't going to let her go without a fight.

At first, he couldn't find her. But after a few minutes, he passed one of the large windows near the front door and immediately slowed to a stop. She was sitting against an old tree. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her pale hands clenched the side of her head, messing up her hair.

A nearby teacher ignored him as he ran out the door to her. No way was the woman going to get in such a cruel boys way and get her teeth kicked in (which had actually happened once).

Alex pulled at her hair angrily. She truly thought Mal was different. She thought maybe, just maybe, she had finally found someone worth something. He had certainly proved her wrong. She growled as she heard someone sit beside her.

"Go away." She didn't look up as she spoke softly. She had wanted it to come out mean, but her voice cracked.

"You're even dumber than you look, little Allie. Like I would leave you like this." She looked up to see Mal smirking. His cockiness disappeared and shame filled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I really am." It was obvious he had trouble saying those words, but Alex could see the sincerity in his dark eyes. She didn't care. She glared maliciously at him.

"Leave me alone." She could see him thinking and her eyes widened as he hesitantly reached out, cupped her cheek, and brushed away a tear that had snuck out of the corner of her eye. At first, his face was full of fear and discomfort at touching someone, but his features slowly softened as he caressed her cheek.

"Don't cry. You're face gets all blotchy and red. It looks horrible." She smiled at him. Even when he was being nice, his words still had a cruel bite. Surprising him, she wrapped her arms around his middle and squeezed him tight. It took him a moment before he finally wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Mal smiled happily. He had his friend back. Now all he had to do was make sure he kept her.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello, Mrs. Baller. Is Alex home?" Mal asked with respect. He had never spoken to an adult with respect. Not once in his whole life. But for some reason he just couldn't find it in himself to be rude to such a nice woman. Her black hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail and she was wearing a tight green dress. As always, she greeted him with a lovely smile.

"Why, yes she is. She's right up in her room, sugar." Mal smiled shyly and walked down the hall to her room. He opened the door to find her, of course, reading a thick Anne Rice novel. He knocked twice on her open door. She looked up with a vicious glare that quickly vanished when she saw who it was. He raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"You looked ready to rip my head off when I came in." She blushed.

"Well, I love books more than anything in the whole world. When someone interrupts my reading, controlling my temper is really hard. There was this girl in middle school. She used to bug me a lot about my weight. I usually just ignored her, but one day I was reading when she messed with me. She slammed my book shut when I was lost in the story and yelled "watcha doin, fatass!". I punched her so hard I knocked out one of her permanent teeth." She told him with absolutely no remorse. She actually seemed to enjoy the memory.

Mal grinned.

"You really aren't nice to everyone, huh?"

"No. Most people aren't worth being nice to." She shrugged. Mal sat down on the bed beside her with a frown. He wouldn't look her in the eyes as he talked.

"Alex, if we're going to be friends, I need you to know something about me." He took a deep breath.

"This body isn't mine." He blurted.

"What?" She was extremely confused. He sighed and explained.

"This body does not belong to me. It belongs to a boy named Mike. You see, Mike had MPD, multiple personality disorder. Along with an Australian named Manitoba, an old man named Chester, a gymnast named Svetlana, and a Hispanic thug named Vito, I was one of them. They called me The Malevolent One. For a while, Mike kept me locked away. He knew all I wanted was to hurt everyone. I always have and always will hate humanity. Chaos is what I live for. But I came back. And I killed them all. I made sure I would never be locked away again." As he talked, his voice got darker. An enormous grin spread across his face. Alex remained silent. He realized how disturbing this must be to her and forced his grin away. His brown eyes flicked up and met hers. Her face was blank.

"I just wanted you to know." There was nothing else he could say. He could apologize but he wouldn't mean it. He was free, and he wouldn't trade it for anything. All of those years alone in the darkest part of Mike's mind were spent in complete misery. He knew telling her this might make him lose her, but she had to know.

He sighed.

"What was Mike like?" The question surprised him. Mal frowned.

"He was disgustingly nice. He liked pro wrestling and action movies. He was a little weird, but he always tried to be friends with everyone. He even liked his personalities, the only exception being me of course. He was a good guy. God, I hated him so much." Alex nodded her head and had an intense look of concentration on her face. Her little nose was scrunched up and her eyes darted back and forth, looking at nothing in particular as she thought about his words. Mal thought it was kind of cute but forced the thought away. Her eyes lit up.

"I think I knew him. Did he wear a blueish shirt and have his hair stick up?" She chirped, glad she remembered. Mals eyes widened.

"Yeah! I mean, yeah..." He said with less enthusiasm the second time.

"I never liked him." She said simply.

"What? But...everyone liked him. He was the good guy." She had to be kidding. Or just trying to make him feel better.

"I didn't. He seemed real boring and like everyone else. It was his personalities that made him special, and he was ashamed of them. I've caught bits and pieces of his conversations. He always said y'all were annoying and that he wished he didn't have you. I wish I was lucky enough to be that dang special." Mal smiled.

"You are special." He told her truthfully.

Those three words had never left his lips before and it was weird for him, but he was being honest. She smiled sadly.

"No. I'm just plain old Alex. There ain't nothin special bout me. I'm a book addicted outcast who always seems to mess stuff up."

Mal seemed to get angry and she realized she probably sounded like a whining baby. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Shut up! You're the most special, amazing person I've ever met. You're the first person who's ever been able to see me as anything more than a freak. You're smart, nice, funny, pretty, and a total badass. You. Are. Special." The words came tumbling out before he could even stop to think about them.

He expected a hug or a "thank you" but no, she just had to raise her eyebrow and ask

"You think I'm pretty?" With a smirk. He laughed.

"Oh shut up." He said with a humorous grin. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

"Mal, honey, would you like to stay for dinn- oh." They quickly broke apart to see Sarah standing in the doorway with a "look what I just found" smile. Her eyes sparkled.

"Dinner will be ready in 10." She said with a wink before leaving. Mal and Alex looked at each other before they both bursted out laughing.


	6. Chapter 6

Mal had never tasted food so good. Sarah always cooked for her daughter, albeit she never cooked meat. She was strictly vegetarian. Alex wasn't, but she had enough respect for her mother to never eat meat around her. Tonight her mother had made raviolis stuffed with cheese. It was delicious. Mal was used to cheap frozen dinners and unhealthy burgers swimming in grease. He couldn't help but moan when he tasted the home cooked meal.

"Sorry. Its just so good." He smiled shyly.

"Why, thank you!" She had been grinning all through dinner at how close her baby girl was to Mal. He had been sneaking glances at her every few seconds. Alex never noticed, but her mother did. When he saw that she was watching he blushed and looked down in embarrassment.

"Mama, after dinner can we watch a movie?" Alex asked with her mouth stuffed with food.

"Yes, sweetheart. Don't talk with your mouth full. It's rude." She scolded her with a sparkle in her eyes. That sped things up. The two teens quickly finished their food and darted to her room.

"Thanks, Mrs. Baller!" Mal called before closing the door behind them. Sarah laughed for clearing the table and doing the dishes.

"You wanna pick the movie this time?" Alex asked. Mal shrugged and walked over to the case. He realized that The Conjuring wasn't her only scary movie. She had a small obsession with them. Except for a few exceptions like the Jurassic park trilogy and the breakfast club, most of her movies were of the horror genre. He pulled out Jurassic Park and put it in the DVD player before laying on the bed next to her. Alex grinned.

"Good choice. Got a favorite dinosaur?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Mines the velociraptor. Its the deadliest animal to walk the earth. It ain't got no weaknesses, its smart, and its claws are really cool." She smiled. Her tone was that of an excited child's despite the serious topic. They relaxed as the movie started. Mal didn't even try to contain his laughter this time when she yelled at the movie.

"Of course the fat guy gets eaten. He's a frikin buffet to them." She whispered. He started to laugh but stopped when she laid her head on his shoulder and rested her hand on his chest. His heartbeat quickened under her fingertips. He wrapped his arm around her and they cuddled as the people on the screen screamed.

"You're my best friend, Mal." She told him sleepily.

"You're mine too." He croaked and smiled warmly down at her.

"Wake me up if I fall asleep, mkay?" She mumbled.

"Okay." He whispered. He couldn't believe what he was doing. He should be pounding some unlucky bastards face in, not cuddling with some dumb girl and watching movies. A silent sigh escaped his lips. Friendship was new to him. It was weird and stupid, but he liked it. Maybe it was time for things to change. Maybe having someone to care about him was what he needed. He looked down at her and chuckled. She had fallen asleep only seconds after speaking. He carefully brushed a few strands of hair away from her eyes. In that moment, there was no movie. There were no books littering the floor and bed. There was just Alex. He wondered if he should wake her up or not. Well, she had told him to. He gently shook her.

"Alex." He murmured. She groaned in annoyance and he had to muffle his laughter. He shook her again. She sat up suddenly, her eyes half open and a sleepy grin on her face.

"Heeeyyy..." She slurred. It was like talking to someone who was drunk.

"Hi. Wake up you idiot." He said with a smirk.

"I'm up! Cmere I gotta secret." She said, still half asleep. She pulled him to her. He figured that despite there being no one else in the room, she was going to whisper it. But she didn't say anything. She just fell on his body, asleep once again. Mal laughed. Well, so much for waking her up. He sighed and wrapped his arms back around her. He figured he may as well stay the night. Mikes mom wouldn't mind and he could just tell Sarah that he had fallen asleep during the movie. He smiled down at his friend and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.

The next few weeks were the best Mal ever had. He came to Alex's house everyday. Her mother always fed him and he slept with Alex in his arms 4 times after that (her mother drove him home other nights). She often read to him, his head resting in her lap. They watched dozens of movies together, albeit Alex rarely stayed awake until the end of them. He hardly ever left her side. Mal wasn't any nicer to people around him, but he was nice to Alex which alone was a miracle. People at school always whispered about them, but they kind of liked the attention. One day however, someone went too far. They were sitting together like always. Alex was reading 'Dracula' and Mal had his arm possessively wrapped around her. His eyes darted around the cafeteria, daring someone to say something about it. It was like every other day except this time, someone did say something about it. Heather had been building her courage since the incident with Alex, and was now too confident to remember the way her eyes flashed dangerously.

"It makes sense that the wannabe tough guy would fall for such a freak. I wonder how weird the sex is." She called out loud enough for everyone to hear. They all held their breath, waiting to see the reaction. Mal began to stand up, rage in his eyes. He didn't care if she was a girl or not. No one talks to him or Alex like that without paying for it. But Alex grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. She slowly closed her book and laid it on the table. Her face was completely blank. She stood up and walked to Heather, who had a smug look on her face.

"You interrupted my reading. I told you to watch yourself, Heather. I warned you." She said with her fists clenched. Heather stood up and got in her face. "Do I look scared? Fuck you and your book. You know, if you're not too busy fucking Mike." She smirked wickedly. Alex raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? I fuck my best and only friend? Sounds like something you would do Heather. We all know how much you get around. Tell me, how is Alejandro? Better yet, how is his brother José?" Heathers eyes widened.

"Shut up!" She snapped. Alex grinned.

"Ooh, struck a nerve there didn't I? Well, you definitely struck one when you both interrupted my reading and insulted my friend. Now you're going to pay. Just remember, Heather-feather, I warned you." She growled before her fist collided with Heathers nose. Blood gushed everywhere. She fell to the floor and Alex jumped on top of her, still punching her in the same spot. Everyone reacted at once. They all gathered around and cheered on as Alex's fists beat down on Heathers face, which was coated in thick, warm blood. Heather stopped moving. The pain had knocked her unconscious. But Alex didn't stop. She kept going until she was pulled off by two teachers. She got a good kick in right in Heathers ribs before she was dragged away cursing and screaming. Mal watched in fascination. He never would have expected that such a sweet, loving girl could be so violent. He loved it. But now they would have to deal with the consequences. He knew this would change everything.


	7. Chapter 7

Mal exited the alley and began to walk down the sidewalk. If you looked behind him, you'd see a man laying there, unconscious. He had made the poor decision to try and mug the lonely teen walking in the darkness. As Mal walked and whistled his favorite ominous tune, he thought of Alex. It had been a few days since he had seen her and he missed her immensely. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her eyes sparkling back at him like two lovely emeralds. But he wasn't ready to see her again. Hell, he hadn't so much as talked to her since before the fight. The fight. Alex punching that girls face in filled his thoughts and he smiled briefly before he forced his scowl back on. He shook his head to clear it, causing his dark bangs to bounce around. He wouldn't think of her. He had to forget her. Looking around to make sure no one could hear him, he began to speak to himself.

"Why the fuck can't I stop thinking about her?! She's just a dumb girl. I need to tell her to leave me alone. I can't feel. I can't lo-" he stopped himself from saying that horrible word. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Mike was the one who lov- had these feelings. Not me. I shouldn't even want to be her fucking friend. Ah hell. What do I do?" He paused in his walking and stared down at his reflection in a puddle on the street. Suddenly, the image of him blurred and instead of a malevolent teen with a black Papa Roach T-shirt and bangs that hung over his eyes, he saw a familiar stranger. His hair stuck up and he had a warm smile on his face. His shirt was teal colored.

"Mike?" Mal sputtered.

"Hello, Mal." Mike said back, as if he was speaking to an old friend.

"But...I killed you...you shouldn't be here."

"You know you'll never get rid of me for good. I'll always be here." He said calmly. Mals eyes hardened.

"Leave me alone." He snapped. Mike looked at him with pity.

"Doesn't it get lonely? Hating everyone?" He asked. Mals eyes widened and he looked like he was going to explode with rage, but he just sighed and his eyes got sad. He nodded.

"I know you care about her. You care about her as much as I did Zoey. How is she by the way?" He asked sadly.

"She seems to be doing okay, I guess. I stay away from her. She still has hope that you'll come back. She really loves you, you know. It's disgusting. I'll never know what she sees in you. You're so boring." He croaked. Mike chuckled.

"I see. Nice is boring. In that case, you've been very boring as of late." He raised an eyebrow. Mal scoffed.

"Oh please. I destroy anyone in my way. I. Am. Not. Nice." He glared. Mikes eyebrow remained raised.

"Really? What about Alex?"

"What about her?! She's just a stupid girl. I'm not gonna get all worked up over a pathetic idiot like her."

"Same head remember? I know how much you like her. Why not tell her?"

"I do not! And even if I did, which I don't," he said very clearly and angrily, "she would just laugh at me. I'm a fucking monster, Mike. I know it. You know it. She knows it. I don't love. I don't feel anything but hatred for everyone around me." His throat stung and for the first time in his entire existence, he had tears in his eyes. Mike smiled sadly at him before the image of him blurred and Mal saw Alex walking. He recognized the dark alley and clothes she was wearing. This was her on the night they met. This was a memory.

_"You do. You might be different from everyone else, but you have a soul. You have emotion. You're as human as the rest of us. Don't you let anyone tell you different."_ Her lovely voice seemed to echo in the memory. Mals eyes widened. He had forgotten that she said that. He smiled, just like he had that night. A tear slid down his cheek. Mikes image returned in the puddle. He was smiling.

"She cares about you, Mal." He said softly. Mal nodded and his little smile was replaced with a full grin that showed off the gap in between his front teeth.

"Yeah...what the hell is wrong with her?" He asked with a humorous tone. Mike laughed.

"I don't know. Why don't you go ask her?" He suggested. Mals eyes widened.

"I think I will actually. Thanks, Mike. I- I really appreciate it." He was never good with thank yous, but Mike knew he was being sincere.

"No problem. Tell Zoey and Cam that I said...that I said that I miss them." He choked out. Mal shook his head.

"You can tell them yourself when I'm done talking to Alex. Just don't get comfortable." He warned. Mikes eyes lit up and he nodded happily.

"Bye." Mal waved. Mike waved back before disappearing. Mal wiped the tear from his face and sped down the sidewalk. He knew it was true...

Mal was in love.


	8. FD AN 1

**Hey everyone! I really hope y'all are enjoying Fading Darkness so far. I've got nearly 200 views :) I would seriously love it if y'all left some reviews about what you want to happen next cause I'm not sure what I wanna do yet haha. I know I'm not really supposed to upload Authors notes by themselves but I really do need help with this next chapter. Also, constructive criticism is very much appreciated! Thanks! **


	9. Chapter 8

Alex yawned loudly as the end credits of The Exorcism of Emily Rose rolled up on the screen. Her green eyes darted to her mother, who was curled up on the couch sleeping. A sleepy grin appeared on Alex's face.

"Goodnight mama." She whispered before kissing her mothers forehead and walking out the front door. She wasn't going anywhere. She just wanted some air. Besides, the moon was full and brilliant tonight. She hummed happily as she rocked back and forth slowly on the porch swing. Her eyes closed and she thought of Mal. The way his bangs swept over his eye, the way he always tried to force his scowl back on his face when he smiled, the way his eyes softened when she got excited, she loved it all. Mal was her best friend and she missed him really badly. She was startled when heavy footsteps suddenly echoed through the street and Mal came into view. His bangs were bouncing up and down as he sprinted towards her house. When he reached her he bent over with his hands on his knees and gasped for air.

"Hi." She said with an eyebrow raised.

"Al-*gasp* Alex! I need...to talk to *gasp* you!" He could barely speak. He had just ran over 8 blocks. She laughed. He finally began to breath normally and he walked up onto the porch and sat beside her on the porch swing. She wrapped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his chest.

"I missed you." She whispered. Mal cursed inwardly at the butterflies that were fluttering within him.

"I missed you too." He confessed. He gently pushed her away and put his hands on her shoulders. Looking into her eyes made his heartbeat quicken.

"Listen, Mike is back." He croaked with urgency. Her eyes widened.

"What? But how did he-"

"I don't know. But he's back."

"What are you gonna do about it?" She asked. She expected an answer laced with death and destruction. But he simply shrugged.

"Nothing. Its his body. I can share. As long as I get to see you." He said nonchalantly.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Mal? Since when do you share?"

"Since I realized that he's always gonna come back no matter how many times I trap or kill him. I actually have something I don't wanna lose this time." He whispered the last part and took her hand.

"So yeah, I'll share. If he wants to come out he can. I don't give a fuck. I just want you." He had never said anything like this to her. Alex didn't know what to say or do. Before either of them knew what was happening, she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to her. Their lips met roughly, almost angrily. It surprised Mal, but he eagerly kissed her back. When they parted, they were both blushing and Alex couldn't stop grinning no matter how hard she tried.

"You wanna come in and watch a movie?" She asked happily.

"Mmm. Me and you all alone with the lights off...it sounds perfect." He said with a fake lustful tone and waggled his eyebrows. She playfully punched his arm.

"But I can't. I really want to but I can't." He said honestly. He really did want to go, but he knew he had to talk to Zoey.

"Sorry babe. I have to find Zo-" he stopped talking when he realized how horribly wrong this could go.

"Oh shit. Please listen. This is important. No matter what you see me doing, know that there's a big chance its not me. Mike has a girl friend and I don't want-" he stopped speaking when she kissed him on the cheek.

"I know. It won't be you. I trust you." He had never heard those words before, at least not when the speaker knew it was Mal they were talking to. He smiled shyly.

"Cool. Maybe you can meet Mike one day. As long as he doesn't do anything to piss me off, it could be not horrible." She shook her head with a sad look on her face.

"No. If we don't get along I could hurt both of y'all." She said. Mal couldn't help but smile at the thought of Alex beating that bug-eyed weirdos face in.

"Don't smile!" She said with a laugh. She knew Mal loved when she was violent. But he had just seen a little of what her mother called her "bad side".

"Well I'm gonna go find that bitch Zoey. I uh...don't hate you." He kissed her cheek and blushed. He didn't wanna get all lovey dovey. She smiled.

"I don't hate you either honey. Bye." As he ran to go tell Zoey, she popped her neck and grinned wickedly.

"Let's just hope she knows her place. I'm sure Mike wouldn't be too happy if his girl had a little accident." She said with a hint of malevolence. As Mal ran, he thought of how sweet and amazing Alex was. He didn't hear her chuckle darkly. He didn't know what she was hiding. He didn't know who Alex Baller could become when her "bad side" truly showed.


End file.
